Marianne Burkhalter + Christian Sumi
by: Sumi, Christian and Marianne Burkhalter

Hardcover. New York, Princeton Architectural Press, 1st, 1999, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 176 pages, color and b&w photos by Heinrich Helfenstein, b&w illustrations, plans. Like their compatriot Peter Zumthor, the Swiss architects Marianne Burkhalter and Christian Sumi are dedicated to an exploration of the nature of materials and construction. In the last fifteen years, they have built a series of remarkable buildings in wood and stone in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Their work is a thoughtful pursuit of the fundamentals of architectural construction-a style that, like that of Zumthor's buildings, might be called Alpine minimalism. Their interest in simple forms and shapes, in luminous color, in the natural grain patterns of wood, and in the opportunities afforded by joinery and other forms of craftsmanship are evident in every aspect of their built work. This comprehensive monograph includes an in-depth look at 25 of Burkhalter and Sumi's projects, including their most famous built work, the Hotel Zurichberg. Essays by Eugene Asse, Detlef Mertins, Steven Spier, and Lynnette Widder, based respectively in Moscow, Toronto, London, and New York, explore their unique style and demonstrate the growing international acknowledgement of their practice.